Core Summary
US President Trump’s Middle East envoy Jared Kushner arrived in Israel on Monday, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit follows Kushner’s rare direct talks with Hamas in Egypt, where he met a delegation led by Hamas’s new leader Khalil al-Hayya to discuss implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan.
Last month, Trump’s “Board of Peace” announced it had reached agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. However, Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point plan last week, which also calls for Israeli troop withdrawal. Eight Muslim countries issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection.
Event Details
According to a Palestinian official who spoke to the BBC, Kushner met the Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. Hamas later issued a statement calling on mediators and the Board of Peace to “compel” Israel to approve the roadmap for next steps.
The Board of Peace was originally created as an international organisation intended to bring peace to Gaza, but was later expanded to include conflicts worldwide. Kushner’s core objective on this Middle East trip is to build bridges between Israel and Hamas, moving the peace plan from paper to reality.
Notably, Israel’s rejection of the 15-point plan is not without reasoning. Israeli officials argue that Hamas’s “complete disarmament” lacks verifiable enforcement mechanisms, and that the withdrawal timeline is too aggressive. Hamas, meanwhile, insists that any peace plan must be predicated on full Israeli withdrawal.
Analysis
The core contradiction in Kushner’s Middle East mediation is that the US is attempting “transactional diplomacy” to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but fundamental disagreements remain unresolved. Trump’s 15-point plan is essentially a “disarm first, govern later” roadmap — logic similar to the US experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the Middle East’s complexity far exceeds those lessons.
From a geopolitical perspective, the joint condemnation from eight Muslim nations is a significant signal. The unified stance from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE means that if Israel continues to reject the peace plan, America’s Arab ally network in the Middle East will face pressure. This directly challenges the expansion strategy of the “Abraham Accords” that the Trump administration has been pursuing.
On the other hand, Hamas’s willingness to hold direct talks with Kushner is itself a historic breakthrough. Although Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by multiple Western countries, these talks indicate that space for pragmatic negotiation is expanding amid the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Perspectives
US Position: The Trump administration considers the 15-point plan the best path to lasting peace in Gaza, emphasizing that Hamas must fully disarm while Israel needs to show good faith on withdrawal.
Israel Position: The Netanyahu government rejected the plan, arguing it lacks verifiable disarmament mechanisms and the withdrawal timeline is insecure. Right-wing forces in Israel strongly oppose any concessions to Hamas.
Hamas Position: Calls on the international community to “compel” Israel to accept the peace roadmap, but insists disarmament must be predicated on establishing a Palestinian state.
Muslim Nations: The eight-nation joint statement condemned Israel’s rejection of the peace plan, calling for Israeli flexibility and urging all parties to comply with international law.
Editor: GoodInfo Global News Team